The parents of a Canadian have spoken out months after she froze to death in the street during a mental health crisis following her early discharge from hospital.

Irina and Mike Andriychuk have criticized Nova Scotia’s mental health system following the death of their 32-year-old daughter, Yuliya, on November 14, 2022, world news reported. The bereaved parents said Yuliya, a psychology student, was repeatedly and prematurely discharged from mental health facilities in the province without medication or follow-up appointments.

“We are very frustrated with the system and very angry,” Ms. Andriychuk told Global News in an exclusive interview. “We lost our daughter, actually, to a terrible health care system.”

Yuliya died of hypothermia after wandering the streets of Dartmouth in freezing temperatures. She had left the emergency room after a crisis a week and a half before the tragedy and had just learned that one of her appointments had been canceled.

Ms. Andriychuk told the newspaper that they have already filed several complaints with hospitals and clinics, alleging that staff have failed to consistently provide proper treatment to Yuliya since her condition began in 2020.

After Yuliya first showed signs of mental health issues two years ago, she spent two weeks at the QEII’s Abbie J Lane Memorial Building before being fired by staff who allegedly failed to inform her parents.

For the first few months, Yuliya was supervised by her family at all times, with her father even taking her to work with him, according to Global News. She was again taken to hospital in October 2021 after suffering a second episode of mental health.

“After three days the hospital called us and said they had lost our daughter,” Andriychuk told the agency. “We were in shock. How is it possible.”

After writing a complaint, Yuliya briefly received the medication and care that her parents had requested. She spent a month in the facility and was allowed to visit her parents over the weekend.

Later, Yuliya told her parents that when she returned she discovered that another patient had occupied her bed.

The Andriychuks again took Yuliya into their custody to make sure she was safe.

They say Yuliya was showing signs of improvement in the first half of 2022 before having another surge in November. After spending three days in the emergency room, Yuliya was released despite her parents’ pleas.

Yuliya allegedly told the doctor that her medication was not working and that she had not slept for five days.

“She was in very bad shape, it showed on her face. She didn’t want to talk,” Andriychuk told Global News of a conversation he had with Yulliya on a video call a week ago and half after leaving the emergency room. “She left the house and we never saw her again.”

Yuliya allegedly told her parents that a mental health appointment had been cancelled. His body was found the next day.

The Andriychuks wrote a letter to Nova Scotia Health Minister Michelle Thompson demanding that mental health care be improved so that a similar tragedy does not happen again. They said their daughter could have lived a happy life with the help of medication, but the broken system let her down.

A review is underway by health authorities

The parents of a Canadian have spoken out months after she froze to death in the street during a mental health crisis following her early discharge from hospital.

Irina and Mike Andriychuk have criticized Nova Scotia’s mental health system following the death of their 32-year-old daughter, Yuliya, on November 14, 2022, world news reported. The bereaved parents said Yuliya, a psychology student, was repeatedly and prematurely discharged from mental health facilities in the province without medication or follow-up appointments.

“We are very frustrated with the system and very angry,” Ms. Andriychuk told Global News in an exclusive interview. “We lost our daughter, actually, to a terrible health care system.”

Yuliya died of hypothermia after wandering the streets of Dartmouth in freezing temperatures. She had left the emergency room after a crisis a week and a half before the tragedy and had just learned that one of her appointments had been canceled.

Ms. Andriychuk told the newspaper that they have already filed several complaints with hospitals and clinics, alleging that staff have failed to consistently provide proper treatment to Yuliya since her condition began in 2020.

After Yuliya first showed signs of mental health issues two years ago, she spent two weeks at the QEII’s Abbie J Lane Memorial Building before being fired by staff who allegedly failed to inform her parents.

For the first few months, Yuliya was supervised by her family at all times, with her father even taking her to work with him, according to Global News. She was again taken to hospital in October 2021 after suffering a second episode of mental health.

“After three days the hospital called us and said they had lost our daughter,” Andriychuk told the agency. “We were in shock. How is it possible.”

After writing a complaint, Yuliya briefly received the medication and care that her parents had requested. She spent a month in the facility and was allowed to visit her parents over the weekend.

Later, Yuliya told her parents that when she returned she discovered that another patient had occupied her bed.

The Andriychuks again took Yuliya into their custody to make sure she was safe.

They say Yuliya was showing signs of improvement in the first half of 2022 before having another surge in November. After spending three days in the emergency room, Yuliya was released despite her parents’ pleas.

Yuliya allegedly told the doctor that her medication was not working and that she had not slept for five days.

“She was in very bad shape, it showed on her face. She didn’t want to talk,” Andriychuk told Global News of a conversation he had with Yulliya on a video call a week ago and half after leaving the emergency room. “She left the house and we never saw her again.”

Yuliya allegedly told her parents that a mental health appointment had been cancelled. His body was found the next day.

The Andriychuks wrote a letter to Nova Scotia Health Minister Michelle Thompson demanding that mental health care be improved so that a similar tragedy does not happen again. They said their daughter could have lived a happy life with the help of medication, but the broken system let her down.

A review is underway by health authorities